Marriage hunting in Japan
According to the AFP, marriage is a trend that’s sweeping Japan. They highlight matchmaking parties in which there are three guys for every gal, and talk about the connection between “marriage hunting”, “birth hunting” and cooking lessons.
No, I don’t see the connection either.
The lede seems to be that in Japan, as elsewhere, birth-rates are dropping and young people have to work harder to find a mate. The parties are a product of the companies that are rushing to address the needs of thirty something’s who feel they’ve missed the boat.
I’ve read that Japanese people are hesitant to be anything but anonymous online. I wonder if that doesn’t make it hard for dating sites to really get a foothold.
Why is it they could court and get married 100 years ago but can’t meet anyone now? I would have thought with more freedom to meet people in today’s society it would be easier to get married.
Or are people happy with their lives and too selfish to endure the sacrifice it takes to get married?
Tracy – I think a lot of it has to do with demographics. The Japanese population is aging rapidly. With fewer young people around, dating gets harder due to sheer isolation.